"MONTY PYTHON & THE HOLY GRAIL,"
THE BEST FILM OF 1996!by Hans ten Cate
Sunday, 22 September 1996

So what is the deal with Monty Python &
the Holy Grail this year? Not that we're complaining or anything,
but this certainly has been a big year for Monty Python and its fans.
Since January, three major Python products have debuted, all tied in
some way to the "Holy Grail" film. Among the new Python-fare
we're reviewing this time:

Of course, even the most household appliances know that "Holy
Grail" is the greatest movie ever made, so it only stands to reason
that we would begin to see some cool Holy Grail memorabilia. The 1974
film was Monty Python's first real big money-maker and has been a perennial
favorite on college campuses for years. The success of the film finally
demonstrated the widespread popularity of Monty Python, which certainly
came as a welcome surprise to the Python troupe members. For a great
story about the debut of "Monty Python & the Holy Grail"
read Python Producer John Gladstone's own account here on PythOnline!

One
of the reasons why we're probably seeing such a sudden upsurge in Python
games and memorabilia is that the Python Office in London changed its
official licensing policy in early 1993. Before that time, no one was
allowed to use the Monty Python name, trademarks, and artwork for commercial
gain. Since that policy changed, however, a number of products have
been introduced - much to the delight of Monty Python fans around the
world. One can now obtain Monty Python computer games, t-shirts, trading
cards, calendars, mugs, greeting cards, and even a Monty Python card
game. And that's in addition to the videos and books already on the
market!